Everything has its own burden: Hamas may not meet Trump's deadlines

Hamas considers it unrealistic to return the hostages within the 72-hour deadline set by US President Donald Trump. A source in the Palestinian movement told Izvestia about this. He added that it would take more time and preparation to find the bodies of the dead and move the prisoners. In turn, Fatah told Izvestia that the weapons of the Hamas fighters belong to the Palestinian authority and it is important that the means of protection against the Israeli invasion remain in Gaza.

Hamas asks for more time

Donald Trump's Gas plan, unveiled on September 29 in Washington, consists of a total of 20 points. It provides for a complete ceasefire, the release of hostages within three days, as well as the transfer of the sector under external control for a transitional period. At the same time, residents of the exclave are offered the opportunity to freely leave and return.

At the same time, a source in the Palestinian movement told Izvestia that Hamas considers it necessary to amend the draft peace agreement, which was presented by the American side this week. The controversial point is the 72—hour deadline set by Washington for fulfilling key conditions: searching for the bodies of hostages under the rubble and organizing the movement of prisoners. The movement considers this time period unrealistic and insists on extending it.

"Some of the dead hostages may be under the ruins of houses destroyed by Israeli strikes, and the prisoner transfer procedure itself requires careful preparation and coordination on the ground," the source told Izvestia.

Recall that 48 hostages are still being held in Gaza, about 20 of them may be alive. According to media reports, among the conditions that Hamas is ready to accept is the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences. The movement calls this figure acceptable. However, another point concerning disarmament is causing sharp dissatisfaction. The American initiative involves dismantling the military structures of the group and transferring weapons under international control.

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This part of the plan is causing discussions among other Palestinian forces. Thus, the largest Fatah faction told Izvestia that a significant part of the weapons in the hands of Hamas legally belong to the Palestinian National Authority (PA).

"Hamas was supposed to hand over these weapons to the PA, but it refused several times," Munzir Hayek, a spokesman for the movement in Gaza, told Izvestia. — Now we are talking about the possibility of transferring it to Arab countries, but this is not so important. It is important that the means of protection against an Israeli invasion remain in Gaza.

Hamas has "three to four" days

Trump's initiative was supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned that if Hamas refused, the Jewish state would "complete the work on its own." Donald Trump himself stated in a harsh manner on October 30 that Hamas has "three to four days" to agree to his plan, "otherwise they will have to pay."

Moscow, in turn, has so far refrained from a final assessment of the document. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that Russia had familiarized itself only with the main points of the American draft and would form a position after consultations with the countries of the region.

According to orientalist Kirill Semenov, the agreement proposed by Donald Trump can hardly be considered as a genuine compromise.

— Hamas may come to an agreement not for the sake of finding a compromise, but as a tactical step. Any termination of the operation makes life easier for the people of Gaza. But you need to understand that Israel can violate the agreement at any time. For the agreement to have a basis, it must contain measures to influence Israel in case of violation, for example, refusal to withdraw troops. If this is not the case, then it would not be entirely correct to demand that Hamas fulfill all the prescribed conditions," the expert explained to Izvestia.

The draft contains no mention of the future of a Palestinian State, nor any provisions on the de-occupation of West Bank territories. In fact, the agreement does not solve the problem, but only freezes it — and then, most likely, for a short time, Semenov noted.

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As of September 15, more than 60 people were killed.

According to him, the Palestinian resistance retains sufficient resources to continue fighting even if the proposed option is rejected.

— Hamas can stay in Gaza and wage war with Israel for many more years. The movement has opportunities for confrontation, and it may well expect unexpected political changes in Israel. Therefore, this agreement does not fundamentally change the situation for Hamas: if they agree, it will be as a temporary tactical step; if they refuse, their position will remain the same," the Orientalist concluded.

According to Arab media reports, the Palestinian movement opposes the full disarmament clause. The option of transferring weapons under the control of Arab observers is being discussed, but there is no final decision yet. The British Broadcasting Corporation BBC, citing a Hamas official, also said that the movement was likely to reject Trump's proposed plan to end the war in Gaza. The document, according to an unnamed source, "serves the interests of Israel" and "ignores the interests of the Palestinian people." The source notes that the movement opposes a number of key provisions of the initiative. These include the demand for disarmament, as well as the introduction of the so-called international stabilization forces.

Thus, despite the willingness of the Palestinian movement as a whole to accept the US initiative, a number of its provisions continue to cause sharp disputes and may delay the approval process.